Martin Scorsese has been one of the most prolific and heralded filmmakers of all time, giving audiences classics like "Goodfellas" and "Mean Streets". And now, in a sign of the ever-changing film landscape, Martin's next project, "The Irishman", may be released thru Netflix.
Paramount's out
Originally, "The Irishman", which was announced in 2008, was the going to be released in North America by Paramount and would mark the fifth film from Scorsese to be released by the company after "Shutter Island", "Hugo", "The Wolf of Wall Street", and "Silence".
The film was also subject to a major bidding war for international rights, with STX Entertainment winning out in the end. "The Irishman", which reunites Scorsese and Robert DeNiro, would tell the story of Frank Sheeran, a mob hitman who was long believed to be tied to the death of Jimmy Hoffa.
However, this all changed with news that Paramount chairman, Brad Grey, announcing his resignation from his 12 year position. This came on the heels of a fairly disappointing box office run in 2016 and the absurd costs of films like "Monster Trucks", which faced multiple delays and ended with an inflated budget. A change of this magnitude shows that the company is not looking to take risks on certain projects, including Martin's newest gangster film.
Netflix is in
As a result of this, Martin and his team decided to put together a new package deal to shop "The Irishman" around. Netflix emerged as the leading party, with reports from Indiewire indicating that a deal is nearly finished for Martin's next film. This would include distribution rights across the globe, as is customary with most Netflix properties.
A deal of this magnitude would mark the continuing shift for filmmakers moving to streaming platforms like Netflix, which has proven to provide a level of flexibility that most studios can't or won't afford due to potential dollar risks. Martin would join a list of directors that include David Ayer, Adam Wingard, Duncan Jones, Angelina Jolie, and Bong Joon-ho who will have their next films released via the streaming platform.
Now, with Martin seemingly heading to Netflix, this could open the floodgates for even more high-profile directors to take advantage of the platform's open approach and desire for original content in series, documentaries, and films.
